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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26397538">The Courtship of Lancelot and Merlin</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting'>GoringWriting</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Arthur Finds Out About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Courtship, Gaius is So Done (Merlin), Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Lancelot (Merlin) Lives, M/M, Merlin Needs a Hug (Merlin), Merlin's Magic Revealed (Merlin), Merlin's Neckerchief (Merlin), Protective Gwaine (Merlin), Protective Merlin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:07:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,721</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26397538</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoringWriting/pseuds/GoringWriting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lancelot approaches Arthur to ask permission to court Merlin, Arthur gives it easily. Little does he know that from that one conversation secrets would be unraveled.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Lancelot/Merlin (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Merlin</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Courtship of Lancelot and Merlin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“My King, do you think I might be able to speak with you on a personal matter?” Lancelot asks having softly knocked on the doorframe and Arthur looks up from where he is feeding his horse. Contrary to some people’s opinions he does sometimes do things for himself. </p><p>“Of course Lancelot, come in. What troubles you?” Arthur asks sitting on one of the benches. Lancelot sits across from him on the seat that Merlin normally takes to clean armor and Lancelot has a soft smile on his face that tells Arthur it is no accident. </p><p>“I wish to begin courting someone in your household and I was hoping you would give me your blessing,” Lancelot says and normally with a request that vague Arthur’s mind would be whirling to figure out who he means but in this case he doesn’t really need to, the answer is obvious. </p><p>“I give my permission but there are two others whom you need to speak to,” Arthur says. </p><p>“I already asked Gaius and Merlin’s mother. She gave her blessing this morning,” Lancelot says. Arthur smiles for his friend. He’s pretty sure his knight would probably have killed him had he said no. </p><p>“Go to him and tell him. He has the rest of the day off. I owe him for when he helped Gwen and I sneak around,” Arthur says and Lancelot bows and rushes from the stables to go find Merlin who if he is where he is supposed to be should be in the kitchens.</p><p>Arthur will have to send George for his lunch and dinner it seems. </p><p>His first clue that something is wrong comes the next day at training. Normally Merlin joins them and sits to the side to polish armor and call encouragement to the knights and jeer when Arthur messes up. Today Arthur hasn’t seen Merlin since he woke him up this morning. The manservant had woken him up and left the room before Arthur could ask about yesterday. </p><p>Now, his servant is off polishing in his room for the first time since he first got here and Lancelot looks like his heart has been ripped from his chest. Even the other knights can tell that something is wrong. Leon keeps shooting looks at Lancelot, as does Gwaine. Percival is also looking at Lancelot worriedly. </p><p>“Alright, what happened?” Gwaine finally snaps when he’s knocked Lancelot on his arse for the tenth time in a row. Immediately his other knights attention immediately goes to the two.</p><p>“Nothing,” Lancelot says.</p><p>“That’s shit and you know it. Yesterday when I passed you in the halls you looked like the sun was living in your face. Then you went to the kitchens and now you look like someone killed your dog,” Gwaine says arms crossed. </p><p>“What time yesterday?” Percival asks. </p><p>“A little before Mid-day,” Gwaine says. </p><p>“Merlin was in the kitchens,” Percival says looking at his friend and Arthur hides a snort, it seems Lancelot is not so good at keeping secrets. </p><p>“So?” Lancelot says.</p><p>“Lancelot, the whole of Camelot can tell you are in love with him and he, you,” Elyan says.</p><p>“Yeah, we are,” Lancelot says looking at the ground. </p><p>“So, what’s the problem. If he is in love with you, and you with him, I don’t see the problem,” Leon says. </p><p>“BECAUSE HE TURNED ME DOWN!” </p><p>All noise seems to stop on the field as they stop to stare at him. Merlin turned him down? There’s no way that could ever possibly happen. Merlin and Lancelot are so clearly in love it’s very sickening. </p><p>“Merlin turned you down?” Elyan says and of all of them Percival looks the most upset. </p><p>“The same Merlin who came to me crying because he realized you might never return his feelings?” Gwaine says.</p><p>“Did he give you a reason? Did you not get all the permissions?” Percival says and he looks more upset than all of them. </p><p>“I got permission from his mother, Gaius, and the King. I know why he said no. It is a personal matter that I completely understand. It just does little to ease the sting right now,” Lancelot says and Arthur ends training for the day and Lancelot walks off and Arthur and the knights stand there watching him leave. </p><p>“Should we talk to Merls?” Gwaine asks.</p><p>“Perhaps. He might be more open with his emotions than Lancelot,” Arthur says and they go to the Physician’s chambers. When they knock Gaius answers the door with an unimpressed eyebrow raise. </p><p>“You can’t all be injured,” the physician says and they feel a little like children. </p><p>“We were hoping to speak with Merlin,” Arthur says. </p><p>“He should be in the woods gathering bark. He needed a distraction,” Gaius says and they go down and saddle their horses and ride out into the woods. They aren’t far from Camelot when they come across Merlin hacking the bark from a tree a ways away. They disembark and make their way towards him but hide when they see Lancelot making his way over and they move closer to be able to hear. </p><p>“The Knights know you turned me down,” Lancelot says pulling his dagger and hacking at the bark to help Merlin. </p><p>“I’m surprised they let you go as far as they did with how bad you were doing,” Merlin says.</p><p>“You were watching?” Lancelot says.</p><p>“I always watch when you’re training,” Merlin says blushing. </p><p>“I was doing horribly,” Lancelot says, forcing a smile at the ground. </p><p>“I’m sorry. But I made my reasoning quite clear…”</p><p>“I know. I understand why you don’t want me to court you,” Lancelot says. </p><p>“I want you to court me more than almost anything else on this planet…” Merlin says and the knights share a look, if that is the case then why did Merlin turn him down? “...but you can’t court me. I refuse to relegate you the life my mother and I lived. Always hiding and afraid. I refuse to let you lose any of the respect you have gained as a round table knight by courting a servant. I know how much you want kids, how much you want a family and we both know that can’t happen with me. You would be throwing away everything you’ve earned and everything you’ve dreamed, just to court me. I refuse to put you in danger because of you courting me,” Merlin says. </p><p>“Merlin. I want you. If I have you in my life I would happily face a pyre or beheading, an army or a monster, if it meant I got to be with you. As for what the other Knights might say, Merlin I face them every day as the knight who forged a noble seal his first time here and as a commoner. I already deal with a lack of respect from them. So does Percival and Gwaine. I would rather deal with it knowing that I get to return to my room and take you into my arms. Merlin, I may want a family but I want you in that family. We can easily take in a ward. A common child as a ward or one of the many children who live without families. I myself grew up without parents and was lucky to be taken in when I was young, I would happily do that for another child. I love you. I was willing to respect your reasoning when I thought that you did not want me to court you but now that I know that you do want me to court you I will not standby. </p><p>“Lancelot, you have no idea what it’s like to live the life you would live if you court me,” Merlin says. </p><p>“Are you mad Merlin? It’s the same life I live now as a close friend. Fear for your safety, secrets, lies. I do them all for you,” Lancelot says and Leon looks at Arthur. Lying is a violation of the knights code but they have recently admitted that sometimes it’s necessary. </p><p>“Except you aren’t automatically guilty of treason for being my friend! But as a partner you would be, or would have been under Uther. Lancelot, I have magic. From the moment I was born I have lived in terror that I would be caught and sent to the pyre and then that my mother would be as well, and then I met Gaius and I had the same fear. I live in fear that Arthur will find out and send me to the pyre and that I won’t be able to protect him anymore but at least he would have you and the other knights. But if he loses you and me who will protect him next time there is an immortal army? Who will know enough magic to save Camelot,” Merlin says and Arthur freezes.</p><p>Merlin has magic. </p><p>Magic is evil.</p><p>Merlin isn’t evil. </p><p>Maybe magic isn’t evil?</p><p>“He would have Gwaine and Percival as well as Elyan and Leon,” Lancelot says. </p><p>“Gwaine serves Arthur because I have a deep trust in him. Gwaine has said that if it weren’t for me he wouldn’t stay. How do you think he would react if Arthur had me sent to the pyre? Do you think he would protect Arthur after that?” Merlin says and the knights all look at Gwaine who shakes his head.</p><p>“That still leaves Percival, Elyan, and Leon,” Lancelot says. </p><p>“Percival is your friend. Wouldn’t he be upset?” Merlin asks. </p><p>“I hope he would be but I also hope he would protect Arthur as I have always wanted to,” Lancelot says and it is clear he won’t give up.</p><p>“Lancelot...I have to tell you something...I’m...I’m immortal! I won’t die but you will! Our relationship will be doomed from the start. I will love you and watch you grow old and I,” Merlin says. </p><p>“Then I will cherish the years I’ll have with you and then love you from Avalon. Please Merlin. Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t love me as much as I love you,” Lancelot says and Merlin meets his eye. A few tense seconds go by and then Merlin is sobbing. </p><p>“I can’t lose another person I love because of me! Will died to protect Arthur and to protect me. Freya was killed because she was afraid for me. My own father died because of my own actions,” Merlin says and Gwaine has to wonder who all these people were. Obviously he knew about Merlin’s father’s death but he didn’t know the details.</p><p>“Will died to protect your village and a Prince he believed in. Not because you did but because Arthur earned his respect. You told me yourself, no one ever made Will do something he didn’t want to do. You didn’t make him believe Arthur was worth dying for. Arthur proved himself and Will made the decision. Freya ran away to keep you safe from her transformations into the Bastet…” Arthur makes a muffled noise drawing attention from the other knights but he’s looking at Leon who had gone just as pale as their King now is. “... But isn’t that what you are doing here as well? You are running away from my courting in order to keep me away from guilt by association. You told me how you wish she had stayed, given you the choice of whether the risk was worth it to you. Please give me that chance and know that I will always prefer to have you with me. Your father was a man who had only known isolation for so long. Living with the knowledge that he was betrayed by Uther and that he had to leave the woman he loved to protect her from him. Again same with Freya. You know Hunith and Balinor would have preferred to stay together in hiding and you wish he had given her that option. Please Merlin. I love you, I want to be with you, and I gladly take any risks that come with such a relationship,” Lancelot says and Merlin has tears running down his face which Lancelot quickly wipes away with a thumb. </p><p>“I...I love you Lancelot.”</p><p>“I love you Merlin. Does this mean we are officially courting?” Lancelot asks and Merlin nods and is immediately pulled into a kiss. </p><p>“We should go back to Camelot, Sire. Being caught now would serve no purpose,” Leon says.</p><p>“Merlin, I was hoping you would wear something of mine,” Lancelot says pulling a chain from around his neck and placing it over Merlin’s. It’s my seal as a Knight of Camelot. Arthur made us all make one so that our families will be honored for generations and I would like you to be the one to wear it,” Lancelot says. </p><p>“Moving a bit fast aren’t we? We just agreed to court,” Merlin says.</p><p>“Gaius told me and I quote, so help me I am not getting any younger and if you do not marry before I pass you will have a very unhappy spirit in attendance at your wedding,” Lancelot says.</p><p>“Of course he did. And my mother? What did she say?” Merlin asks.</p><p>“Pretty much the same thing only with her it was, If the two of you do not acquire me a grandchild before I pass, prepare for an unhappy spirit watching you not know how to parent.” </p><p>“I need a new family.”</p><p>“Hey! That’s my future family you’re talking about,” Lancelot says playfully and the Knights make their way back to Camelot and retire to the round table to discuss what they have learned.</p><p>“So...Merlin has magic,” Gwen says because they had to fill her in. </p><p>“And Lancelot has known for quite a bit of time,” Leon adds. </p><p>“He’s pretty much committed treason since his first day here,” Arthur says. </p><p>“So has Merlin,” Leon says staring at the table. They’ve never seen the knight so unhappy. </p><p>“But then again Merlin commits treason every time he teases the princess. We never punished him for that,” Gwaine says, he’s already figuring ways to warn the two lovers if this goes very badly. </p><p>“He mentioned something about a bastet. What was that all about?” Elyan asks. </p><p>“I killed it...her. From what Merlin said she was human and he was in love with her,” Arthur says. </p><p>“He lost her,  his best friend and his father without anyone knowing?”</p><p>“Gwen, Morgana, and I knew about the friend. We were all there,” Arthur says.</p><p>“I knew his father died but that was all,” Gwaine says. </p><p>“How many times did he look at us with a smile while holding back his grief?” Percival asks. </p><p>“I fear too many,” Leon says.</p><p>“So, I suppose the next question would be, what are you going to do Arthur? Merlin has magic. Magic is illegal and punishable by death,” Gwaine says. </p><p>“He’s also immortal. I feel like we’ve forgotten that part,” Elyan says. </p><p>“I don’t want to worry about that right now. As for what I am going to do...nothing...well...nothing bad. I’m going to slowly revoke the magic ban. Then, reinstate the position of court sorcerer and have Gaius fill it. It’s not a secret he used to practice magic then renounced it. I can then ask Merlin to learn magic under Gaius. Say something like I need a magical bodyguard or something, he seems to be that anyway, and that there is no one else I would trust with magic enough to be in such a close position. He then can take over for Gaius as court sorcerer. It will be his choice if he tells us of his magic or not. But, if keeping the secret seems to be harming him then we will tell him,” Arthur says. </p><p>“You thought this through,” Gwen says approvingly. </p><p>“The ride back was boring,” Arthur says dodging the question. </p><p>At dinner the Knights and the King and Queen do their best to act shocked when Merlin comes in wearing Lancelot’s seal around his neck and Lancelot has one of Merlin’s handkerchiefs sticking out. The tokens are small but the meaning they have makes them special. </p><p>Arthur and the other knights nearly burst out laughing anytime Gaius loudly mentions weddings and children whenever he can. The man really is not subtle with it.</p>
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